Mute



Aug 18, 1925. 1,549,946 G. WOELBER MUTE Filed March 29, 1923 Elvwewtoz qmitmeoo Qua-e): w

Elmer/M21 9 Patented Aug. 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES GEORGE WOELBER, O33 BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

MUTE.

Application filed March 29, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE WoELBnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mutes; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

' My invention relates to improvements in mutcs for stringed instruments and has for its object to provide an extremely simple and inexpensive device of this character, yet one which will be highly efficient and desirable and may well be formed of leather, the muting qualities of the latter being very desirable.

lVith the foregoing in View, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed, the description being supplemented by the accompanying drawing.

.Figure 1 is a side elevation of a mute con structed in accordance with my invention, showing it applied to a violin bridge.

Figure 2 is an upper end elevation.

Figures 3 and 4: are vertical sectional views as indicated by the lines 33 and 4;4l of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the mute.

Figure 6 is an elevation of one of the arched springs which are employed to efiectively retain the fingers of the mute in gripping engagement with the bridge of the in strument.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numerals 1 designate two plies of leather or any other desired yieldable material, these plies being suitably shaped and held in contact with each other at their upper portions while their lower portions are free of attachment to each other and are notched as indicated at 2, to provide a plurality of pairs of fingers 3 which are adapted to grip the bridge 1 of an instrument. The lower ends of the fingers 3 are preferably beveled at 5 on their inner sides to facilitate engagement with the bridge and I prefer also to similarly bevel the outer sides of said fingers, as indicated at 6.

A plurality of arched one-piece springs 7 straddle the body formed by the plies 1 and the legs of these springs extend to the free ends of the fingers 8 and are bent around the bevels 6, as indicated at 8. The outer Serial No. 628,508.

surfaces of the plies 1 are preferably formed with grooves 9 to prevent relative movement of the plies 1 and the springs 7, and if desired, these springs may form the sole means of securing said plies together. However, I prefer to also use a plurality of small rivets 10 passing through the plies near their upper edges.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that I have provided an extrei'nely simple and inexpensive mute, yet one which will be highly efiicient and desirable. EX- cellent results have been obtained from the details disclosed and they are therefore preferably followed, but within the scope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made.

I claim:

1. A mute comprising two layers of pliable non-resonant material partially contacting with each other and having transverse notches to form pairs of fingers which are adapted to grip the bridge of an instrument, and a plurality of separate onepiece arched springs whose legs straddle and contact with the two layers of material and extend substantially throughout the length of the aforesaid fingers to force them yieldably toward each other. I

2. A structure as specified in claim 1; the free ends of said springs being turned inwardly around the free ends of said fingers to hold said springs against movement in one direction on the layers.

3. A structure as specified in claim 1; said layers being externally grooved to receive portions of said springs and hold them against lateral shifting on the layers.

4. A structure as specified in claim 1; the free ends of said springs being turned inwardly around the free ends of said fingers to hold said springs against movement in one direction on the layers, said layers being externally grooved to receive portions of saic. springs and hold the latter against lateral shifting on said layers.

5. A mute comprising two separate layers of pliable non-resonant material jointly notched at their edge portions to provide pairs of bridge-gripping fingers, the outer sides of said layers having straight grooves from one edge to another and extending to the free ends of said fingers, the edges of said layers remote from said free ends of the fingers being formed with grooves communieating with the first named grooves, and a plurality of arched one-piece springs straddling said layers and having their crown and leg portions received in said grooves to hold them against lateral shifting, the free ends of said springs being turned inwardly around the free ends of said fingers to hold said springs against movement in another direction on said layers. 10

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature.

GEORGE WVOELBER. 

